Salon to End Publication After 31 Years

Founded by journalist David Talbot, Salon began as a digital magazine covering books, culture and ideas. Backed financially by Apple, Adobe and the now-defunct bookstore chain Borders, it grew into a liberal and progressive outlet covering politics, domestic affairs, civil liberties, technology, arts and culture.

Its former staff included Glenn Greenwald, Joan Walsh and Michelle Goldberg. Steve Kornacki served as its politics editor, and Jake Tapper worked as a Washington correspondent early in his career. Salon was sold for $5 million in August 2019 to entrepreneurs Chris Richmond and Drew Schoentrup. Find.co, a Malta-based company that describes itself as a “performance marketing ecosystem” for crypto brands, bought it in November 2023 for an undisclosed sum.

The outlet told The Associated Press it had no immediate plans to remove its online archives. Greenwald, who said Salon was the first media outlet to employ him, recalled having full editorial independence there and called Talbot’s creation a pioneer of independent online media. Podcaster Casey Newton and Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik also mourned the closure. Television producer Trace Crutchfield criticized the influence of crypto entrepreneurs and private equity on the industry.

Salon said its 31-year legacy lay in its journalism, ideas, voices and community, and expressed hope that its contribution to digital journalism would endure.